


An In-Between Interlude

by aeskis



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Happiness!, M/M, chatty romance, mutual understanding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-13
Updated: 2014-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-14 04:24:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/511277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeskis/pseuds/aeskis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>... in which Raven doesn't understand why Charles feels the need to get drunk and sleep around, and Erik does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 3

“Charles!” Raven hisses in exasperation as she herds her obviously inebriated brother down the hall. “You are not setting a good example for the kids!”

“Settle down, mum,” Charles returns, patting her cheek fondly as he fumbles off his coat. “What they don’t know won’t hurt me.” 

“Charles, everyone here looks up to you,” Raven tells him seriously, hanging the oversized black coat onto the hanger.

Charles smiles as he totters a bit in adjusting to gravity without the extra weight. “What, an old fart like me?”

“Why do you keep going out like this?” she demands. “Can you … oh, I don’t know, not be a slut for a few weeks?”

He looks at her and for a moment seems about to say something, and then with an easy smile, shrugs. 

Raven frowns. “Can’t you talk to me about it?” she asks, her voice smaller. “You always treat me like a child.”

Charles reaches over to take her hand and press it against his chest. “Oh, dearest, you’re my baby sister. It’s an older brother’s prerogative to be bossy and overbearing—although you seem to have usurped the position quite thoroughly.” 

Her fingers close tightly on his, and Raven leans into him, whispering, “You’re my only family. I just … I just wish I was enough.” 

“Raven,” Charles murmurs in a strained tone.

“What is it?”

“I think--I think I’m going to throw up.” 

“Ugh!” Raven launches herself away. He doubles over—laughing. Once she registers the joke played on her, she glares and heatedly huffs off to her room. “You idiot black-hearted bastard!” is heard echoing after her.

Charles collapses to the floor, his chuckles dying away. “Well, you had a nice show,” he comments to a door opened just a crack a little further down. 

Erik opens it fully and leans in the doorframe. “I could hardly help that. Whether it was entertaining or not, is another matter,” he remarks dryly.  
“I can’t face you.” Charles turns away.

“Really. Am I that intimidating?”

“No, literally.” Charles squints at Erik’s backlit shadowed form. “Could you turn the lights down, please?” 

“That depends. Are you planning on coming in?”


	2. Chapter 2

Charles collapses to the floor, his chuckles dying away. "Well, you had a nice show," he comments to a door opened just a crack a little further down.

Erik opens it fully and leans in the doorframe. "I could hardly help that. Whether it was entertaining or not, is another matter," he remarks dryly.

"I can't face you." Charles turns away.

"Really. Am I that intimidating?"

"No, literally." Charles squints at Erik's backlit shadowed form. "Could you turn the lights down, please?"

"That depends. Are you planning on coming in?"

Charles arches a brow and wobbles to his feet. "Only if that's an indecent proposal."

Erik shrugs lightly and steps back. "Consider it indecent, then." As Charles accepts the invitation and toddles into the room, Erik obligingly turns the lowers the lights to an ambient glow.

Charles slouches into a stuffed armchair and stretches as he looks around. "I must say, I'm charmed by what you've done with the place." Aside from the suitcase tucked into the closet, nothing has changed since the room was empty of occupants.

"I believe in mobility," Erik says honestly to Charles. "I never know when I'll have to leave."

The other man nods, understanding softening his sensitive features, but he quips, "Is that what you tell all the girls?"

"It's what I told Raven," Erik informs him, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. "In the improbable case you didn't know."

Charles sighs in exasperation. "Why does everyone assume I pry into their business? I'm not a busybody. " He pauses and then adds slyly, "And you told her quite a lot of things you've neglected to mention."

"I told her what she should hear from everyone—her mutation is a beautiful, essential part of her. That about covers everything that happened."

"You kissed," Charles points out.

"Some kissing may also have occurred," Erik acknowledges. "To prove my sincerity."

Charles ponders this. "I wish I could prove my sincerity by kissing girls. For some reason, to them that usually shows that I just want a quick tumble."

"Are you treating my thoughts like files in a folder and simply flipping through them?" Erik demands without rancor.

"Well, you really do label and organize your thoughts so very neatly," Charles apologizes. "Raven's mind is rather careless and disorderly."

"I thought—"

"—I know you did—"

"—I'm going to ignore you for a minute, and go on to say that you "promised never to read her mind," Erik accuses, casually.

Charles nods again. "True. For some time now I've sensed, not read, that something is severely disturbing her, and in fact I must make a conscious effort not to overhear thoughts broadcast on national radio." He looks pensive and a little upset. "And whenever I try to talk to Raven about what's bothering her, she becomes very huffy and flounces off, saying that I should already know."


End file.
